The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) warned accountants and other professionals against using their specialised expertise to facilitate corruption, saying their technical skills can make economic crimes difficult to detect and investigate.
EACC Chairperson Dr David Oginde said professionals were increasingly being implicated in corrupt practices, urging accountants to uphold integrity and ensure their expertise was not used to conceal financial wrongdoing.
Speaking on Friday during the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) Annual Seminar in Mombasa, Oginde said integrity was a personal responsibility that should guide professionals in their daily conduct.
He expressed concern that specialised professional knowledge was increasingly being exploited to disguise corrupt dealings, complicating investigations by anti-graft agencies.
“The wickedness that’s done by professionals is professionally done. It’s not an easy crime for the Commission to crack,” he observed.
Oginde challenged accountants to resist attempts to compromise their professional judgement, particularly when handling financial records and conducting audits.
“Integrity is reflected in the accountant who refuses to manipulate figures, the auditor who stands by uncomfortable findings and professionals who will not compromise independent judgement,” he said.
The EACC chairperson also challenged Kenyans to examine their personal attitudes towards corruption, noting that some people who publicly condemn the vice abandon their principles when presented with opportunities for personal gain.
He warned that remaining silent in the face of wrongdoing only allows corruption to thrive.
“If we keep silent about wrongdoings, then evil will perpetuate,” he cautioned.
Oginde called for greater moral courage among professionals and members of the public, saying meaningful change required individuals willing to challenge wrongdoing regardless of who was involved.
“Men and women who ultimately transform society have moral courage – they stand up against anyone who wants to do wrong,” he said.
He further challenged Kenyans to build a country with strong institutions and opportunities capable of attracting international talent and investment, rather than one whose citizens aspire to leave.
“If Americans built their country to the extent we want to go there, why can’t we build Kenya so that the Americans, Singaporeans and other foreigners would want to come and live here?” he posed.
Meanwhile, ICPAK Chairperson CPA Prof. Elizabeth Kalunda reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to fighting corruption, declaring that the professional body would not provide a hiding place for individuals involved in corrupt practices.
Kalunda said ICPAK would strengthen its collaboration with the EACC to promote integrity, accountability and good governance within the accounting profession.
She also pledged that the institute would present a report at its next summit outlining progress made by members in promoting ethical conduct and combating corruption.
The ICPAK Annual Seminar, held in Mombasa from November 9 to 13, brought together accounting professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on emerging issues affecting the profession.
The EACC said its engagement with professional bodies such as ICPAK was aimed at strengthening institutional collaboration and promoting ethical leadership.
